OLIVIER TWIST (EPISODE FIFTEEN)

Iyke paid Black Owl a visit. Black Owl, so called because of his pot-black skin and his unusual lifestyle of sleeping in the day-time and going about his business at night. He said he was distracted by the silly noise of people in the day, so while people went about their silliness he slept and when people slept he took care of his occupations. His main occupation was even more unusual, deadly: he lived on eliminating people; not just anybody, he eliminated the toughest bad boys—an assassin failed to carry his duty or a drug-pusher double-crossed his partner or a blackmailer became too ambitious, people call on Black Owl ‘to judge’ as he put it. He was feared by all, a killers’ killer.

Black Owl was a short gaunt fellow who could pass for a tout; he didn’t carry any weapon–he said fists were created before guns–he used his bare hands; and all his victims had died by strangulation. It was said that he was invulnerable to knives and bullets and can disappear into thin air. No one was sure; no one ever tried to be sure. He was expensive and choosy and possessed crude morality—for instance he never executed any operation where his client appeared to be at fault; he rarely accepted jobs, but when he did, he saw them through, it didn’t matter who the kill-interest was, or where you run to; indeed his victims’ dead bodies had been found in as far as Calabar, Jos, Maiduguri and even in Benin Republic.

Iyke went to see him this night. It was Iyke’s night, Black Owl’s day-time. Iyke and Black Owl had become buddies since Iyke barred his attendants from billing the great assassin for using the restaurant, hotel or bar. Black Owl appreciated this gesture for he kept telling Iyke, ‘You, you, haha; one day, I will retaliate these things!’

After so many fruitless searches Iyke found Black Owl in a smoke-clouded dancing floor of a bar, sweating as he kept stepping on a large lady’s feet in the name of dancing. He had a bottle of beer in this hand and used the other hand to hold his trousers from falling down. It always foxed Iyke how this seemingly inconsequential fellow could be the terror of Lagos underground world.

‘There is fire in the mountain,’ Iyke whispered in his ear. Black Owl said ‘Go to hell’ and continued to heave his dance.

‘I need your help man,’ Iyke whispered again.

‘You are provoking me,’ the great killer said.

‘It is Iyke o.’

Black Owl stopped moving as though his movement gear was suddenly seized. ‘Iyke,’ he shouted. ‘Long time! Where have you been? Why didn’t you tell me it was you? Do you know this harlot am dancing with? Iyke keke meke! Hahahahuu!’

‘Yes. But I don’t want him dead; just keep him out of my tail forever.’

‘I will have a word with OBJ this morning,’ Black Owl said and all the death that had passed through his hands rolled out with the words.

Iyke knew that his problem was settled.

‘I must rush back….’

‘Come and celebrate with me, Iyke, my fourth girlfriend had a baby girl today. A whore begets another whore. Hahuhahu!’

Iyke really wanted to get back to Olivier but no one said no to Black Owl. Black Owl could be magnanimous most times but as his head suffered a little mental disturbance, he could mistake the slightest disagreement as insult worthy of grave punishment. No, Iyke would not decline his offer, not this night, not when OBJ’s issue was on the surgery table. It was half past four, with little patience he could sneak away from Black Owl and return to his bed before Olivier noticed his absence.

Black Owl had his hand awkwardly placed on Iyke’s shoulder when they re-entered the bar. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he announced, ‘meet the chairman of the occasion, Iyke!’

The drunken crowd cheered.

Iyke was saddened by this, sneaking out was now near impossible. Someone thrust a glass of gin into his hand. Just as Iyke made to tighten his hold on the glass it slipped off and shattered on the immoral floor.

‘Hahahuhu!’ Black Owl laughed. ‘The chairman is nervous. Hey someone, clear this mess and get the Great Chairman another glass.’

Iyke silently accepted another glass. He wasn’t nervous, he was worried, dead worried; everything was not right with Olivier, he was sure.

# #

Olivier was well-fed with crying. She had cried the kind of cry that filled the body like food, the kind that made one feel better at the end of the teary exercise; she had cried to her satisfaction. Now she was missing her man. It was dawn and she could hear Lagos awake to its endless bubbles and rattles. Every criminal was back home by now, resting. Where was Iyke? But he couldn’t be a criminal, no; her man dare not be a criminal. But why hadn’t he come back yet? If criminals could be home now, how much more him that was an upright citizen! How much more an Iyke. Or could it be that something bad had happened to him? Could…

She rose from the cushion from where her eyes had been glued to the door and entered the inner room. To take Iyke out of her mind she must engage her mind with some other things, culinary affairs perhaps; she lit the stove and placed the food on top. The fire warmed the food but didn’t warm her heart, didn’t remove her mind from her Iykean thoughts. She lied down on the bed and resumed her postulations…

The smell of burning food woke Olivier up and she kicked out of the bed. She snatched at the pot and dropped it as it burnt her palm. In vexation she kicked the stove and it flamed and began to burn the carpet. She got water but by the time she quenched the fire, half of the room was wet.

Olivier was now unable to bear the whole thing; she began to search the whole house for the spare key to the front door. She would get out of the house, let Iyke come look for her if he really cared for her. She found a bunch of keys on top of the electronics and stormed the door. She tried the first key, the lock didn’t budge; she tried the second one, the lock still remained intact. At the sixth trial, the lock sneezed a click and she drew the door open.

Olivier was surprised to see a tall, roughened young man standing before the door. She narrowed her eyes as she studied him with disapproval. On his part, Humphrey holding his deadly tools bag on his hand was awed, looking at the most beautiful teenager he had ever seen.

I have come to the end of the second season of my blogging. I am exhausted, like aged shoes and I think I need a rest. Since late January I have been posting an average of two posts per week. It is not just about pressing the ‘publish’ button, no, posting has to do with writing, typing, re-writing, editing, re-editing, polishing then publishing, sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, creating awareness, listening to suggestions, corrections, recommendations and replying all comments. Blogging is a full-time work and I gave it 25 hours every day. Now, I am panting, now I must rest.

When I was leaving for the university, my mother didn’t tell me to read my books, she said pray, rest and eat well. She knew so much about my love for reading to bother. Now this advice is coming to haunt me—most especially the resting angle. So I am going to return to the ancient counsel and rest weary bones. I meant Sade to return this month but I am afraid I just can’t get her back. Better this rest than break-down, hospital, death (who will write my obituary?) etc.

I am going to rest for five to eight weeks. I will do so much reading and intensify my efforts in my teaching of the next generation. I must return in June, in order not to miss a calendar month. Hopefully, in June Wild Sade will also return with fresh anger and new challenges, and the story of Olivier will come to a screeching end. June will be great.

Blogging should be constant, they say, so as to hold your readers. But blogging is not a 365-day bank work; football fans for instance don’t change clubs at the end of the season, so I fear not about losing my readers. In fact, more readers will come during the pre-season and swell the rank.

Read, comment, share, these are my end words. You can always reach me on twitter @oke4chukwu, Facebook Kingsley Okechukwu (You will see so many Kingsley Okechukwus but there is no mistaking my handsome face—hahaha, actually my profile pic is a group of Arsenal players.) You could email me on kingkingsley89@gmail.com or catch me on Google Plus. But the most important one is to alert me on Diamond Bank. Igbo boy! He loves money! Yes, I does, so? (bad grammar, and so?)

Meanwhile to the lovers of Olivier, most especially Sweet-Heart Nedy, Sencen, Yemie, Unique, Meeryam, Emmanuela, Olivia, Mona, Amecks and Penny Benny, plus Moses, Apostle Samuel and Herbert and (how dare I forget) Tina and childhood angel Dorcas I say I love you guys for the great company and thank you for your patience and insist ‘let’s continue to do this’.

Moses, there is never a perfect time to rest giddy head. I have been looking for a perfect time for the past six weeks now, and would have been waiting till I become Arsene Wenger. Thanks for acknowledging that I need the rest.

You simply couldn’t have picked a better time for your vacation, Kingsley abi?! So you’re just gonna keep us hanging and drooling, wondering what fate will befall Olivier at the hands of the now love or lust struck villain, Humphrey. I just hope history’s not ’bout to be re-enacted and this fella doesn’t violate her before Iyke shows up. Black Owl aka ‘the Punisher’, sounds like a very interesting fella, should be fun seeing him put OBJ in his place. Do have you a great vacation and thanks for the acknowledgement. Unbeknownst to you, writers bring out the best in readers, when we read what moves us, we comment. So, thanks for sharing your gifting.

I always reply your comment last, always save the best for the last. Your comments have a way of inspiring me, Yemie. Never stop dropping them, they are like love text messages to me.

I couldn’t have chosen a better time to ‘walk away’, I couldn’t, dear. But I assure you I am going to be haunted more by the unknown fate of Olivier more than all of you. I burn to know what Humphrey will do to Olivier and I don’t know how long I will keep me waiting.

Don’t thank me for acknowledging you, you deserve more, wish I could put myself in my phone and send me to you, so wish. And you wouldn’t want a pound of flesh from me will you? I will do many things for my most inspiring reader. Hope you will still find me interesting when I return. I will consider my vacation a disaster if you don’t.

We remain friends, buddies even. Will hala you on your mail and GSM. Love ya.

Oh! No Kings, why now? What is Humphrey going to do to Olivier? You are quiting till June? Thats starvation for lots of people. You are really a great writer. I will wait for the next episode. Lots of kisses… nwuah!

Since everyone is loving u, I love u too. (I hope the family members understand). And the readers understand that u’re Okechukwu not Ikechukwu. Thumps up to an engaging season. Indeed, no better time to e-rest. I’ll always remain a fan,( however unloyal!).

Hahaha, co-pilot! So, you too follow poor Olivier? You too love me? (really? post-ABU main gate; non-laCasera?) Wanna be my fan always (now I want to cry!) I am not Ikechukwu? (You can’t spell my name so much then). And as for your (un)loyalty I am (un)equal to the task!